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Friday, September 25, 2015

Lo, (behold, observe) children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

The starting place for training children is to teach them to honor their father and their mother. We have all seen children scream at their mother or father in the store when they did not receive what they wanted. That is not a picture of honoring a parent. The mommy/daddy relationship is the first relationship a child will experience and must be the first moral principle a child needs to learn. “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land ...” (Exodus 20:12). This is the only command with a promise.

Ephesians 6:1says, “Children, obey your parents...” Obedience does not come naturally to anyone because of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12).Therefore, parents are faced with two major obstacles in training their children: first, the world they live in and second, their own sinful nature. As children grow into their teen years, rebellion can surface. The entertainment world has taken the place of parents teaching the Word of God in the home and they grow up with the idea that sin is fun and exciting. (Parents, be mindful of what your children are watching. Not all programs are wrong to watch but some will affect them later in life).

Children most definitely need encouragement and caring instruction. They need correction whether it be corporal punishment, (spanking), or loving verbal instruction with the loss of something they enjoy. Parents cannot afford to be passive or inconsistent because children need a parent’s good example to inspire them. Parents need to be careful not to crush the spirit of a child with excessive discipline and being to eager to punish. They can cause a child to become angry when they are pressured to achieve, but are never encouraged or comforted when they fail. This is a sure way to provoke a child to frustration and maybe even rebellion.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...seeketh not her own...

Pride cannot coexist with godly love. Christian love is not arrogant or focused on one’s self, but is centered on others. In pride, we become the objects of our own love. In humility, we learn to love others. A person with godly love is not concerned with benefiting himself. The only thing love sees is the need of someone else.

When the Good Samaritan stopped to help the man in need on the road to Jericho, he didn’t concern himself with; “Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (John 4:9). The Good Samaritan did not care how it looked to others. He was there to help someone in distress (Luke 10:30-37). His humble focus on someone else’s need was the illustration Jesus used in teaching that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We must be reminded of the most important commandments, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30-31).

Pride and self-centeredness draws the heart away from caring for someone else. Selfishness may think; “I need help myself. Why should I help them when I’m having difficulty too?” Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” We are to be devoted to one another showing the world the conviction and view of a true Christian. Love is never boastful or “puffed up” because pride is hurtful and wounds people. “Only by pride comes contention” (Proverbs 13:10). All that pride ever does is breed contention, strife and disharmony. Humble people haven’t got anything to argue about because they give of themselves, caring for others with an unconditional heart of love.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Do you consider the above verse to be highly important in your life? What thoughts occupy your mind and become more critical than anything else? Your thought life will determine how much you love God, and also, to the extent you will love others as yourself. Your life today is a result of your thinking yesterday and your life tomorrow will be determined by what you think today. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:...” (Proverbs 23:7a KJV).

A healthy thought life comes out of a close relationship with Christ: reading His Word, praying and being obedient to what the Bible instructs. This is essential! As a believer, you need to be sure your ideas about God are accurate, biblical, and true. Inaccurate and unbiblical thoughts about God can block the power of God in your life. If you are to love God with all of your mind, your thinking must be sound.

When you view yourself through the lens of God’s Word, you can replace the negative, self-defeating thoughts with His truth. Whenever you find yourself thinking of yourself as useless or worthless, as a failure, a hopeless cause or a looser, remember what is TRUE about you. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's (I Corinthians 6:20 KJV).

The power to think biblically is the power to live biblically. Don’t waver in your faith being tossed to and fro thinking negative and unfruitful thoughts. The Apostle Paul taught in Philippians 4:8 that Christians are to meditate on things that are true, honest, just, etc., for in human weakness God’s grace will shine forth in His power and strength.

Friday, September 4, 2015

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

I dislike waiting! Do you? Waiting to hear from someone you love, waiting in the doctor’s office, or waiting at the hospital for a doctor’s report. Waiting, waiting, waiting, and yet, God’s Word instructs us to wait.

The word patient or patience is derived from the Latin word, “patientia” from “patior,” to suffer, to endure. The Lord not only tells us to wait, but to patiently wait on Him. The definition for the word patience is: “willingness to put up with waiting, pain, troubles, or hurts; calm endurance without complaining or losing self-control.” This explanation of the word patience is what God wants for us while we wait for His will in our lives. A willingness to wait and suffer if need be, without loosing self-control, is most definitely the working of the Spirit of God.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time. A man watches his pear tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But, let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap!” Don’t rush God with what He has in-store for you.

Patiently waiting for the will of God honors Him and gives Him time to have His way. This truly is the highest expression of faith and will bring to the soul, perfect rest. Quietly waiting on the Lord, allows you to know Him, and His depth of love. You’d truly never know what it means in II Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for thee” if your pain would quickly flee.